Choose Black Desert
Choose Black Desert if you want an Action and Strategy experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 72.5% positive across 35,523 reviews.
Black Desert vs Royal Quest Online
Black Desert and Royal Quest Online both land in Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam. Black Desert (2017) is 7 years older than Royal Quest Online (2024). Black Desert scores higher on Steam reviews (72.5% positive) than Royal Quest Online (67.9% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Royal Quest Online
Choose Royal Quest Online if you want a Free To Play game with Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Royal Quest Online launched in 2024.
Both Black Desert and Royal Quest Online sit in Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, and RPG on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Black Desert |  Royal Quest Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2024 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 72.5% positive (35,523 reviews) | 67.9% positive (617 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Pearl Abyss | Lesta Games |
Side by side
- Both share Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam.
- Black Desert (2017) is 7 years older than Royal Quest Online (2024).
- Black Desert scores higher on Steam reviews (72.5% positive) than Royal Quest Online (67.9% positive).
- Royal Quest Online is free; Black Desert is paid (9.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Black Desert is Deck Unsupported, Royal Quest Online is Deck Playable.
Black Desert vs Royal Quest Online — FAQ
- Which is better, Black Desert or Royal Quest Online?
- On Steam reviews Black Desert scores higher (72.5% positive) than Royal Quest Online (67.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Black Desert is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Black Desert or Royal Quest Online first?
- If you want chronology, Black Desert (2017) came out before Royal Quest Online (2024). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Black Desert and Royal Quest Online similar?
- They overlap on Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both Black Desert and Royal Quest Online have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Black Desert ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Royal Quest Online ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is Royal Quest Online free?
- Yes — Royal Quest Online is a free-to-play Steam title. Black Desert is paid (9.99 USD).